From images of knives to cupcakes, foodies are increasingly etching their identity on their skin. And for chefs, tattoos are markers of non-conformity, self promotion and resilience, as a new book testifies.

Is ‘voting with your wallet’ an ethico-political act or an illusion?
Shutterstock
September 8, 2016

Chia, acai, quinoa, guradji - our supermarket shelves are awash with superfoods. They may well be healthy but in attributing magical qualities to these products are we glossing over an often-exploitative global food system?

We talk about food with moralising – and judgemental – language.
Shutterstock
June 1, 2016

Locavore, freegan, kangatarian, flexitarian ... what we eat has become a moral minefield. Religions have long enforced food-related prohibitions, but in a secular context we could do with a little less moralising at the kitchen table.

Two very popular – and seemingly contradictory – food trends are gripping Australia at the same time. Ultra healthy and extravagantly indulgent eateries are actually fulfilling the same elite-driven desire for food that's creative, hand-made and rare.

How many Australian children know what meat is before it shows up on their plate?
Shutterstock
May 23, 2016

We're a nation of meat eaters but city dwellers may have trouble discussing the origin of a steak with their offspring. And though there are programs teaching children how vegetables grow, there aren’t too many that involve raising an animal for food.

Non-Indigenous Australians have been ignoring native food options for hundreds of years.
David Gray
May 16, 2016

Australians will happily eat boat noodle soup with beef blood stirred through it or stinking tofu – but not quandongs or akudjura. Yet overcoming 'food racism' and eating native produce could be a powerful act of culinary reconciliation.

Food is being deconstructed, politicised, scrutinised and replaced altogether.
AAP
May 15, 2016